The Astonishing Christ

Listen to this famous writer's assessment about Jesus: "Everything in Christ astonishes me! His spirit overawes me, his will confounds me! He is truly a being by himself."

The writer? A rather remarkable leader named Napoleon Bonaparte.

He continues, "I search in vain in history to find anyone similar to Jesus Christ or anything which can approach the gospel. Neither history, nor humanity, nor the ages, nor nature offer me anything with which I am able to compare or explain it."

And Napoleon is, of course, right. The idea of a king whose wealth and power are beyond measure, the commander of the heavenly host, ruler of heaven and earth, who would choose to come to earth as a little baby — it's unbelievable!

But thankfully for us, it's true.

Thankfully for us, it's true.

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high .... (Hebrews 1:1-3 NRS)

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